Update from Maureen Child

Nominations for Craigmillar Community Council opened this week and I am the Returning Officer. Residents who are passionate about their area are invited to play an active role and helping everyone have their say on local issues.

Community councils give local residents and community groups like youth forums, parent councils and student bodies more opportunities to influence what happens in their area. Members get involved in a wide range of activities, comment on planning and licensing applications. They take part in community campaigns and work with others to improve the local area.

Community Councils are represented on each of the 12 Neighbourhood Partnerships where they work with Councillors, Police Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, NHS Lothian and the Voluntary Sector to identify and deliver local priorities. Meetings are usually once a month and members get involved in a variety of issues.

By joining your local community council you can make a real difference to your neighbourhood, meet new people, learn new skills and take action on issues raised by local residents. We are looking for people of all ages and from all walks of life to get involved.

Ideas, energy and enthusiasm are welcomed and the Council will provide support to get the best from being a community council member. The last development day was over-subscribed. I would encourage anyone who’s interested in local democracy to get involved. People aged 16 years or older, and are registered to vote, can join.

The nomination period for the community council elections runs until Monday 30 January 2017. Elections, where required, will take place on Thursday 23 February 2017. You can apply as an individual or as a local interest group, such as a Parent Council, Friends of Parks or sports club.

Nomination forms are available from me or on the City of Edinburgh Council’s website at www.edinburgh.gov.uk/communitycouncils or from me as returning officer.. Since I flagged this up in a previous update, I had two brand new notes of interest in standing – which is very encouraging. More about Portobello/Craigmillar Neighbourhood Partnership here: http://www.edinburghnp.org.uk/

A reminder that on Monday evening I am chairing an open meeting intended to feed into the national consultation on Claudia Beamish MSP’s Prohibition of Fracking etc. (Scotland) Bill. The event with Claudia Beamish MSP and the local campaign Our Forth – Portobello Against Unconventional Gas – is taking place at 7pm in Portobello Baptist Church Hall, 185 Portobello High Street, EH15 1EU.

The Bill was lodged on 3 November 2016 and the consultation runs until 17 February. The link is here through the Scottish Parliament website: http://www.parliament.scot/gettinginvolved/101886.aspx and includes an on-line survey which you can send in any time before the consultation ends, but Monday evening is a chance to ask questions and have a discussion. Please note : I am cancelling my weekly surgery that evening.

It was good to hear that a local business in Portobello had won a national award! The Skylark on the High Street is now officially one of the best pubs in Scotland as one of six named in The Skinny Food & Drink Survey. Even better, they were voted for by the readers of that magazine. So what’s the secret if its success? Catch up with the latest Porty Podcast(s): Link here: http://porty.org.uk/news/porty-podcast/

SGN are also renewing gas mains on Portobello Promenade but will be keeping the way open for the duration of the works. https://www.sgn.co.uk/Roadworks/Scotland-projects/Edinburgh-Portobello-Promenade/ I am off down there to Milton Road East and Promenade this afternoon with SGN to have a look and ask questions of those in charge at SGM and – hopefully – understand better what is possible while this important work and disruption is going on.

Family Festival28 January, 10:00-12:00 at Tribe Porty is aimed at babies, toddlers and supporting young families in and around Portobello:

This is an opportunity to represent and promote your organisation, business or group to our local families, by offering demonstrations, chats or simply information, like leaflets and flyers. Participation is FREE. If you would like to take part on the 28th January, please get in touch to reserve a table by emailing events@tribeporty.org

PEDAL – Portobello Transition Town will be holding their annual Wassailing event at the community orchard (Opposite Brunstane Station on Brunstane Road South) on Saturday 28 January from 2-4 pm. There will be the customary singing and dancing to encourage a bountiful fruit harvest in 2017, led by the community choir, as well as a bonfire and refreshments. The group hope you will join them for this seasonal celebration which will brighten up a January day.

Another diary date: Transition Edinburgh, Nourish and the Edinburgh Sustainable Development Partnership invite you to local events to discuss:“Community Planning for People & Planet” and help set the environmental priorities for our North East Locality Improvement Plans 2017-22 from 11am–1pm Tuesday 31 January at Craigmillar Library. Open to all local / citywide community groups and projects interested in making improvements to our local environment. The event will enable discussion amongst participants about local environmental priorities over the next five years.

Police Scotland would like your help understanding young people’s drinking habits in North East Edinburgh. Community Alcohol Partnerships bring together local retailers and licensees, trading standards, police, health services, education providers and other local stakeholders to tackle the problem of underage drinking and associated anti-social behaviour.

The East Edinburgh Community Alcohol Partnership (CAP) has been successfully running for the last three years focusing particularly on Portobello and Piershill. The East Edinburgh CAP aims to tackle underage drinking through the co-operation of alcohol retailers, Police Scotland (Edinburgh), the City of Edinburgh Council, Trading Standards, Licensing officers, local schools, youth providers and health networks.

The CAP addresses both the demand and supply side of underage drinking through enforcement, education and public perception. The North East Edinburgh Community Policing Team are now hoping to expanding the excellent work of the East Edinburgh CAP across the whole of the North East Locality.

As part of this process we are inviting residents of North East Edinburgh to complete a residents survey in relation to young people drinking in public places. Survey Link: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/2LBT27L

Be the first to comment

Search for your article here:

Search for:

Welcome to Chronicle Online

Chronicle Online is your community newspaper bringing you news stories from across the area.

Do you have anything you would like to share with us? This could be a news story, details of an event, your experiences growing up in the area, poetry, drawings, etc. If it's local then we would be interested in publishing it.

If you would like to get involved you can contact us through the button below or email hello@chronicleonline.net